Learning to Bloom Where I am Planted

How to Survive a Busy Ball Season

We just finished up another ball season and I have to admit, I’m not sad about it. We have spent 3-4 days a week at the Little League field for the past couple of months and I. Am. Over. It

I didn’t realize it until I became a mom, but ball season is serious business for plenty of people. It doesn’t matter what kind of ball it is either. Some of these parents are hardcore.

I literally heard one woman yell at her 8-year-old, “Sacrifice your body!” She wanted him to get in front of the ball, even if it hit him To each their own…..but my point is:

If you’re kid is on a sports team, it can and will take over your life. Ball season takes over your schedule and invades your house and car. It can get stressful

My kids are still young, this was only our 3rd ball season. And I’m sure their schedules are only going to get busier as they get older. So, I am constantly looking for ways to make this hectic baseball/soccer/dance/cheer mom life easier. (Don’t judge…my kids are still figuring out what they like, so they’ve done a little bit of it all.)

In the past couple of years, I’ve picked up some tricks that have helped my family survive a busy ball season:

Use your Crock-Pot

Using your crock-pot or instant-pot is a definite must during a busy ball season. Games go into over-time, practices run late, traffic is backed up, you stay to help close up the concession stand, etc. – there will be a million reasons why you get home late from the ball field.

You can only hit up the drive-thru so many times before you can’t stand it anymore (or your pants no longer fit ). Plus, it’s nice to come home to a ready-to-eat meal that didn’t come out of a greasy bag. So, before your ball season begins, pull out all of your trusty crock-pot recipes (or pin some new ones)and pencil them in your weekly menu.

Organize Your Car

Ball season means that you are going to be spending much more time in your car. Whether you sit in it during practices or drive to a gazillion away games, you and your car are about to become besties. You might as well stock it with everything you’re going to need:

baseball bag(s)

folding/stadium chairs

phone charger

towels

blanket

Make Your Own ‘Ball Season’ Bag

Since you sometimes have to park what feels like miles away from the field you’re playing on, it’s helpful to have a ‘ball season’ bag of your own. That way you won’t have to walk back to your car every time you need something. This is what I keep in my bag:

sunscreen

bug spray

book

towel

umbrella

wet wipes

sunglasses

cash

small first aid kit

extra hair ties

picnic blanket

hand sanitizer

feminine hygiene products

& depending on the weather you may want to keep extra jackets, gloves, scarves, etc.

Whew….that seems like a lot, but it really does all fit into one backpack.

I have seen many moms with cute monogrammed bags. I plan on getting one, eventually, but for now, my backpack will work just fine.

Wash Uniforms After Every Game

This was a lesson that I had to learn the hard way (more than once….because I’m obviously a slow learner). Put your child’s uniform straight into the washing machine after EACH game!

Too many times I have been impatiently standing by the dryer waiting for a damp uniform to come out so that we can make it to the next game….late. Or (shamefully) letting my kid wear a dirty uniform to their next game.

Seriously, just go ahead and wash their uniform as soon as you get home. It will also make stain removal a little easier. Which brings me to my next point…

Learn Stain Removal Tricks

Depending on what kind of ball your kid plays, they will most likely bring home filthy grass and/or clay stained uniforms. Thankfully, this hasn’t been an issue for me….yet. But I know those days lie ahead and I’ve pinned some tips and tricks to keep their uniforms lookin’ good.

Keep Cash on Hand

Despite your best efforts to make healthy, homemade meals for your family before every game, there will inevitably be a day (or ten ) that you don’t have it together. So, keep some cash on hand for those impromptu concession stand meals. (Hotdogs and nachos, anyone?)

I try to keep $20 in my ‘ball season bag’ at all times for these hot mess days.

Pin Some Snack Ideas

I never knew that ‘team snacks’ were a thing until we moved to North Carolina. But apparently, after each game, every kid on the team gets a snack. And the parents take turns bringing the snacks for every game.

I was completely unprepared when it was my turn for snack day. I ended up buying the kids tickets from the concession stand. But other moms made cute baseball-themed goodie bags. I was so ashamed After that, I pinned plenty of team snack ideas so that next time I’ll be prepared.

Get Some Cute Shirts

Now that you have most of the hard stuff out of the way, it’s time to look the part. You can’t be an official baseball mom, soccer mom, cheer mom, or whatever-mom without a few themed shirts. I saw so many moms in cute shirts this past baseball season. I didn’t have any, but you better believe I’ll be ready next year!

I hope these tips help you to survive the next ball season with a smile on your face! One day we will miss all these nights at the ball field, scrubbing uniforms, and taking our MVPs to their millionth practice, but until then, we just have to survive!

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Hi, I’m Amanda!

Army wife, displaced Floridian, connoisseur of lists, avid DIY-er, amateur traveler, and mom to 2 spunky girls. This blog is dedicated to helping military spouses find their way through this chaos we call life.